Flooding on Key Boulevards in Sofia Halts Tram Services and Causes Major Traffic Disruptions

Flooding on Shipchenski Prohod Boulevard in Sofia brought tram traffic to a standstill this morning, October 27, affecting four tram lines and causing significant congestion in the area. Following heavy rainfall, the situation has since been brought under control.

Work to drain the flooded area is nearing completion. Two teams from Sofia Municipality, two fire brigade units, and one crew from Sofiyska Voda have been deployed on site.

Tram lines 20, 21, 22, and 23 were temporarily suspended but have now resumed operations. However, the section remains closed to car traffic. The exact cause of the flooding is still under investigation.

Krasimir Dimitrov, Director of Emergency Aid and Prevention at Sofia Municipality, explained:

“You can see two teams from the fire service and two of ours. We’ve deployed six pumps to drain the road and restore traffic. The problem comes from higher-level drainage channels connected to the nearby river. Our teams have been responding to flood-related alerts throughout the night. One of the most problematic areas was Mushanov Boulevard. We also have teams working in Pancharevo and Vitosha, where we’ve received reports of local flooding.”

Both the flooding and adverse weather conditions caused major traffic jams across central Sofia, with many commuters arriving late for work.

“I came from Mladost — waited half an hour for the bus, then another half hour to get here,” said one passenger.
“I waited an hour at Aviation Square and gave up trying to get home — I work elsewhere,” added another.

“There were no buses for over an hour. I’ll probably be at least half an hour late,” one commuter told BNT.

photo by BTA

The flooded section is located near the construction site of Sofia’s new metro line. Metropolitan EAD is expected to provide information shortly on whether the ongoing construction works were affected by the flooding or contributed to the incident.